applying the principles of prior learning assessment debra a. dagavarian diane holtzman dennis fotia
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Applying the Principles of Prior Learning Assessment
Debra A. DagavarianDiane Holtzman
Dennis Fotia
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From Fiddler, Marienau, and Whitaker, 2006
Steps and Principles
Identification: Review experience to
identify learning that is potentially
creditable or appropriate for credentialing
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Articulation: Relate proposed credit to
academic, personal and professional goals
Documentation: Prepare evidence to
support claim for credit
Measurement: Determine the degree and
level of competence achieved
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Evaluation: Determine the credit equivalency
Transcription: Prepare a useful record of results.
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1. Credit should be awarded only for learning, and not for experience.
2. College credit should be awarded only for college-level learning.
3. Credit should be awarded only for learning that has a balance, appropriate to the subject, between theory and practical application.
4. The determination of competence levels and of credit awards must be made by appropriate subject matter and academic experts.
5. Credit should be appropriate to the academic context in which it is accepted.
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1. Credit awards and their transcript entries should be monitored to avoid giving credit twice for the same learning.
2. Policies and procedures applied to assessment, including provision for appeal, should be fully disclosed and prominently available.
3. Fees charged for assessment should be based on the services performed in the process and not determined by the amount of credit awarded.
4. All personnel involved in the assessment of learning should receive adequate training for the functions they perform, and there should be provision for their continued professional development.
5. Assessment programs should be regularly monitored, reviewed, evaluated, and revised as needed to reflect changes in the needs being served and in the state of the assessment arts.
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Credit should be awarded only for learning, and not for experience.
Make sure all literature, as well
as how staff speak about the
program, reflects this.
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The determination of competence levels and of credit awards must be made by appropriate subject matter and academic experts.
Criteria that will be used in making
assessments should be identified
and well understood by the faculty
conducting assessments.
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Credit awards and their transcript entries should be monitored to avoid giving credit twice for the same learning.
Whether the assessment is conducted
on paper or orally, a written record of
the parameters of the student’s
knowledge needs to be on file.
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Assessment programs should be regularly monitored, reviewed, evaluated, and revised as needed to reflect changes in the needs being served and in the state of the assessment arts.
Conduct periodic reviews of the program,
assess outcomes, conduct reliability
studies, etc., and use the results to make
appropriate changes in the program.
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Make certain the goals of the program are
consistent with the institutional mission.
Employ accepted standards (i.e., CAEL, ACE,
etc.).
Make certain that faculty who conduct
assessments have had experience in
assessing college-level learning.
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Academic assessments of student
portfolios should be thorough and
elaborated. Written evaluations should be
fairly detailed, and oral assessments
interactive. Students need to understand
their specific strengths and weaknesses in
the subject area.
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Make use of the language adopted by the
appropriate accrediting association in describing how
prior learning should be evaluated and documented.
Demonstrate how the focus of prior learning
assessment on learning outcomes positively impacts
the evaluation process for all students at the
institution.
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Contact other institutions with prior learning
programs in the same region that have gone
through the accrediting process and ask them
for suggestions.
Become familiar with the appropriate
accrediting association's policies, procedures
and written statements regarding innovative
programming.
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Provide a rich and diverse range of
supporting materials to the accrediting
association's review team, e.g., faculty
training documentation, samples of
portfolios, etc.
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Identification Identify strengths of program: instructional
materials, process, faculty assessment,
feedback to students, cost-effectiveness, etc.
Identify strong portfolios and experiential
learning narratives
Identify faculty supporters and superstars
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Articulation
Articulate mission of PLA program as
consistent with institutional mission
Articulate outcomes of PLA for students
Articulate outcomes of PLA for faculty
Articulate outcomes of PLA for institution
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Documentation
Document:
Numbers of portfolios sent for assessment,
portfolios returned for follow-up, portfolios
evaluated for credit/denied credit,
Number of credits granted (overall, by
subject, by where it fits into degree
program, etc.)
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MeasurementMeasure:
Student success at earning PLA credits
Types of portfolios most commonly assessed
and most common types of evidence produced
Reliability of your PLA process
Etc. . . . . .
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Evaluation
Evaluate quality of student portfolios
Evaluate quality of faculty assessments
Evaluate quality of training for faculty
Evaluate quality of instructional materials
for both faculty and students
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Transcription
Prepare a useful record of results of
assessments
Prepare a useful record of how and where PLA
credit was used in degree programs
Prepare a useful record of faculty and student
evaluation of the program
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Quality of faculty feedback to students
Student satisfaction of PLA process
What faculty get from conducting PLA
Institutional attitudes and beliefs about
PLA
Cost-Effectiveness of PLA process
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Steps and Principles
The outcomes assessment process in AACSB should include:
1. Definition of student learning goals & objectives2. Alignment of curricula with the adopted goals3. Identification of instruments and measures to
assess learning4. Collection, analyzing, and dissemination of
assessment information5. Using assessment information for continuous
improvement (AACSB Assessment Resource Center, 2007)
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In an accreditation review must provide evidence…◦ Goals and objectives exist for each program◦ Goals and objectives describe what students will
be or have as a result of completing a program◦ At least one direct measure for each learning
objective for each program and have the origin of the measures—how they were developed
◦ Information regarding the implementation of measures
◦ Systematic processes for review of data, closing the loop.
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The Assurances of Learning Standards must be addressed: ◦ Ex: Standard 15: The school uses a well
documented, systematic process to develop, monitor, evaluate and revise the substance and delivery of curricula of degree programs and to assess the impact of the curricula on learning. (AACSB Assurance of Learning Standards, 2007)
Direct assessment of student learning can be done ◦ through course-embedded measures ◦ stand-alone testing ◦ or performance
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Assessment Instruments and Measures
As presented before there are a variety of approaches to directly assess student learning-Highlight on ….Selection: an assessment tool whereby students are selected to participate in a program on the basis of their knowledge and skills developed from prior educational experiences. The learning goal can be validated through an appropriate process that provides evidence the goal/s are already prior to entering the program (AACSB Assurance of Learning Standards, 2007)
Ex: demonstration of competency of a second language, demonstration of an acceptable level of writing skills (essay)…competency in technology (standardized test or
user application test can be given)
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Evidence in the report must demonstrate that ◦ AOL is a continuous improvement process and◦ Steps have been taken, based on data from
direct measures, to improve student learning◦ Continuous improvement actions have been
taken to improve the AOL process itself◦ There is broad faculty participation in the AOL process (Garceau & Tarnoff, 2011)
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The report must answer if the documentation captures learning goals and learning objectives ◦ Connection between mission and learning goals◦ Connection between mission and learning
objectives◦ Distinct learning goals and learning objectives
for each program◦ Well written learning goals◦ Well written and measureable learning
objectives(Garceau & Tarnoff, 2011)
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The report must answer if documentation capture stakeholder involvement◦ Which stakeholders were involved◦ How stakeholders were involved (process)◦ What stakeholders contributed:
Drafting or reviewing learning goals Drafting or reviewing learning objectives Developing or reviewing direct measures Responding to indirect measures Review of data for continuous improvement Help with implementation of improvements
(Garceau & Tarnoff, 2011)
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Measures and Sampling are Reviewed ◦ Actual measures utilized◦ At least one direct measure for each learning objective◦ Any indirect measures used◦ Origin of measures and logic behind choices◦ Use of measures (i.e., formative vs. summative)◦ Location of measures (e.g., course-embedded)◦ Logic for placement of measures (e.g., curriculum map)◦ Sampling of each distinct student population◦ Systematic process is in place for review of data and
recommendations◦ The loop is closed for each learning objective in each
program◦ Effectiveness of improvements implements has been
evaluated (Garceau & Tarnoff, 2011)
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Variety of accrediting bodies Similarities in the documentation of student
learning Focus on the necessity of continuous
improvement and the involvement of external stakeholders, as well as many internal stakeholders, in the accreditation/reaccreditation process